


Total Freak Show

by vivamusmoriendumest



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Gen, Hinted smut, Implied Masturbation, Kissing, M/M, but it does get steamy, he literally just freshy killed kristen oop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivamusmoriendumest/pseuds/vivamusmoriendumest
Summary: Ed comes running to you after a tragic event, of which he totally did NOT have a hand (or more likely, two) in.
Relationships: Edward Nygma & Reader, Edward Nygma/Reader, Edward Nygma/You, Kristen Kringle/Edward Nygma
Kudos: 34





	Total Freak Show

“Ed, hey!” you said, surprised to see the GCPD’s lead scientist in forensics standing at your door. The happy shock you got from seeing him unexpectedly suddenly melted away as worry set in.

“What happened?” you said to the tall man. It looked like he’d been crying and his hair was tousled a bit. His eyebrows were furrowed in thought.

“I’m sorry Y/n, I didn’t know where to go,” his voice wavered.

If he hadn’t concerned you before, he certainly had now. His voice was always firm, always confident but selective about his words.

A solemn look had set on his face for who knows how long.

His tone was also off. He was always charming and lively around you. The man standing before you was in shambles.

“It’s okay, Ed. Come on in, let’s get you some tea,” you said and ushered him in.

You guided him over to the small dining table and sat him down in a chair. You didn’t fail to notice a hair that had attached itself to his sweater. It was reddish blonde. Ms Kringle?

A pang of jealousy ran through you. No, you should know better. They were together after all. Ed was so excited to tell you she was coming over to his apartment tonight, so why was he here?

“You must have been freezing. And don’t worry about anything, you can come to me whenever with anything. I promise,”

His eyes met yours. He was hiding something. Something that was weighing on him.

You put a blanket over his shoulders and a shiver ran down his spine when he felt your breath fan over his ear. His skin set aflame at the contact of your skin when your fingers had brushed his neck.

“After all, that’s what friends do,” you said and gave him a fake smile. You moved over to the electric kettle to start preparing your tea.

Eddie, Eddie. Poor Eddie constantly stuck in the friend zone. It really is so sad. His other persona’s voice echoed in his head.

Ed sighed, a string of ‘no’s mutters fell from his lips.

You know what we’d be doing if I were here? His own voice bounced back at him, betraying him.

Oh, Y/n and I would probably already be making out, maybe we’d be even farther…

“You need to go away,” Ed’s voice was weak and so was his body.

It took a lot to strangle somebody, physically. It was even more of an endeavour emotionally and mentally to take the life of someone you loved. He didn’t even mean to kill Kristen, it just happened. One minute they were happily in bed together, then she was dead.

‘Loved’, huh? You’re already moving on I see. I can’t see why you’d even need to move on, Eddie. She treated you like shit.

“She still deserved better.”

Did she, Eddie? Because for weeks, even a couple months she treated you like no more than a roach invading her kitchen. She treated you like shit like you were a pest.

“She loved me, and I loved her too,” he muttered.

She never loved you. She was curious to get up and close with the freak who pesters everyone with riddles.

“I’m not a freak, don’t call me that. And she enjoyed my riddles.”

She never did. Didn’t you see the bored, irritated look on her every single time you walked up to her desk? Didn’t you think there was a reason she was surrounding herself with every single person in the precinct but you?

“That’s not true.”

Yes, it is, face it, Eddie. She made every excuse, she gave every reason to get away from you. You know who didn’t try to escape you? Y/n.

“I don’t think of them like that.”

Eddie, Eddie, you forget we share a mind. I see every dirty thought you’ve thought of them. Not too many bad ideas either.

“I’ve never thought about them that way, they’re my friend. We’re friends.”

But you want to be more than friends. You want to smell their perfume on your clothes the morning after and you want to feel them in your arms and to see them bent over a--

“That’s quite enough!” Ed exclaimed, standing up abruptly his palms open on the table. His cheeks were tinted pink.

You rushed over to him, placing the two mugs on the table. You put a hand on his arm. “Hey, hey, you okay? What’s going on?”

Your tone was heavy with worry but Edward instead focused on the tingle your fingertips left on his bicep. His lips were slightly parted, in awe and fascination of the way his body reacted to the smallest of touches from you.

See, Eddie? Your body can’t lie. You have feelings for them. You can’t deny it.

His eyes were wide as his darkly coloured orbs peered into yours. “We’re friends, aren’t we Y/n?”

You looked at him with a raised brow. “Yes of course, why?”

Your teeth tugged your bottom lip in nervousness and tugged away Ed’s attention too. His gaze now sat on your lips and your lips only.

“If I were to tell you something, could you keep a secret?” he said in a lower, almost huskier voice.

It was definitely hotter in the room than earlier. A heavy silence sat in the air and so did a certain sort of intensity. Your nerves were on fire in anticipation of what was to come next. Was he this close before?

Your eyes flickered between his eyes and his lips then finally landed back on his eyes. “Of course, Eddie.”

He was delightfully shocked internally to hear the nickname usually reserved by his persona leaving your lips. Your perfect, soft pillowy looking lips.

His breath fanned over your face. The heat blossoming in your cheeks was excruciating and his lips looked so inviting.

The tension was thick between the both of you. So thick you could take a knife to the air, cut it and cook it for dinner.

His dark eyes searched your face for any sign you weren’t enjoying the proximity of your bodies. It felt like electricity was being exchanged between the two of you.

Internally, Ed was struggling. He was struggling to deny the magnetic energy between you both. He was struggling to keep his persona from completely taking over. He was struggling to form a coherent thought, especially when your lips were so close to his own.

Even though he was still reeling from the death of his former partner, Ms Kringle, he thought maybe it was time to try again. He messed up the first time, he chose wrong. You’d been by his side for almost a year now, how hadn’t he seen the chemistry between you both?

Ms Kringle had been nothing but mean towards him. Maybe it wasn’t really love, only mere infatuation; an obsession.

But you, you were different. Ed would come up to you at your desk, asking you a riddle. You’d always reply with a soft smile and the best answer you could come up with. You enjoyed his presence so much so you even hung out after work. Ed never knew what having a really good actual friendship was like. Until you.

You were interesting, you had hobbies and you shared your passions with him and his with you and you went out for brunch sometimes and even walked together and brought each other coffee. You had routines together, routines.

He was a busy guy, spent almost all hours at the GCPD but he made time for you. Whether it was hanging out and sitting next to each other watching tv, discussing predictions and theories or just driving around Gotham, aimlessly tunes on the radio just enjoying each other’s company.

Maybe this was the answer. You were the answer. Maybe there was a reason for the things that happen to all of us, maybe Ed needed those things to happen to him to see this; to see you, potential.

His double whispered praises to him in his ear. Backhanded praises but still praises.

You’re still thinking too much, Eddie. Go with the flow for once.

His breath hitched, his eyes still trained on the different regions of your face.

Maybe if you play your cards right-

“Could I-uh,” he cleared his throat. “kiss you?”

Your eyelashes fluttered and your voice came out shaky. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that question for months.”

He was nervous, what if you didn’t like the kiss and decided it would be better to just walk away, to just completely leave.

Don’t be foolish, kisses don’t always decide the fate of only one encounter. You’re just anxious. He sighed in relief quietly basking in the revelation that even for a short period of time, his thoughts were once again his own.

Go with the flow. Do what feels right.

All in a flash, his lips were on yours. The kiss was hot, heated even. It was hungry and passionate. His pink lips pressed upon yours, his laboured whimpers disappearing seemingly as they were swallowed down. His hands rested on your hips.

Oh god, he never thought this would be happening. He’d spent so many nights up worrying for you, hoping you were safe because you forgot to call him to tell him you were staying late.

He wouldn’t admit it either but he also spent so many dark, lonely nights calling out your name in his personal pursuits of pleasure. His thoughts and fantasies ran rampant through his mind. The faces he’d imagine you making, your lips parted, eyes rolled back or scrunched closed fuelled his further untold desire for you. He’d thought about your thighs and how you’d look riding his and the way his name would tumble and fall from your mouth. The moans and whines that would pick up traction as they erupted from your throat.

Your lips collided with his again as you drove back into him like he was your source for oxygen. A low moan fled his throat. You pulled back from him with a newfound twinkle in your eye.

In all the months of you two working together, you would’ve never thought of this situation as even more than a mere fantastical dream. The fact that it was unfolding before your eyes was exhilarating and so was the adrenaline rush that suddenly came with it.

His long, slender fingers brushed over your cheek and you bit your lip. His eyes followed your teeth tugging on the soft flesh and melted a little bit. Oh, how he adored you. And oh, how long he’d been denying himself the pleasure of adoring you.

You looked at him in wonder. “Is this real, everything that’s happening right now?” you asked, your voice small. Your eyes looked to him like flowers looked to the sun, necessary to each other. Ed was so so important to you in so so many ways you couldn’t quite explain.

You wouldn’t know what to do if he hadn’t cracked a soft grin at you that one day you were sent into the lab because one of the officers of the precinct was too busy chatting up a witness to hand in some paperwork for him to look over and told you one of his riddles.

You knocked on the door and quickly spotted a wire basket that you placed the report in. You turned to head out until you heard his voice speak up.

“You measure my life in hours, and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy. What am I?” he asked excitedly.

You turned and smiled at him. “Pardon?”

He beamed with delight. “It’s a riddle. ‘You measure my life with hours, and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy.” He repeated, awaiting your answer.

You thought carefully and took a few seconds to work it out in your head. You pursed your lips. “A candle.” You said, confident in your response.

He was absolutely thrilled. For once, someone who didn’t ridicule him or treated him like a total freak show when he presented his love of riddles. “Correct.” He said and beamed widely at you.

“I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting yet. I’m Edward Nygma, I’m the lead forensic scientist here. And you are?” he asked, holding his large hand out for yours to shake.

“Y/n, Y/n L/n. I’m actually quite new here, I work just outside of the bullpen as a secretary. I just came by to drop off Officer Smith’s report.” you said warmly, taking his hand in yours.

That was one of the first things he thought of when he met you. You were so warm. So amicable and so approachable. You were friendly to him; a lot better than almost anyone else than the Captain or even Jim Gordon had been to him.

“You have remarkably fast responsive skills, Mx L/n. I’m impressed.”

Heat rose to your cheeks. “What can I say, there’s nothing a little sudoku or logic solving problems can’t help.”

“Do you have anyone to eat with, Mx L/n?” he questioned.

“What do you mean, Mr Nygma?”

“Lunch. For lunch. Do you have anyone to eat with?” He was relieved to have found at least one other person in this precinct who seemingly was a peer to him. He was excited to see what they could do.

“No, I do not, Mr Nygma,” you said a bit saddened. You’d barely realized with all the workloads for the past few weeks you’d barely eaten during your lunch breaks.

“Would you care to dine with me? I know this deli downtown that makes a variety of sandwiches and such, hopefully, suitable for your tastes,” he said, hopeful you’d join him.

“I’d quite like that, Mr Nygma. I’ll see you at noon?” you said, walking towards the door, back turned to him.

“Yes, Mx L/n. That sounds lovely.”

You turned at the last minute. “Oh, and Mr Nygma?”

He looked up from the report. “Yes, Mx L/n?”

“Y/n will do.” you smiled.

“Then I guess Ed will work too.”

“This is all real, Y/n. Even though you don’t seem quite so real to me. You’re unreal, ethereal.” he whispered the last part like it was a secret and he was forever trusting you with it.

His lips curved upwards and yours did too. He was too perfect, his hair usually neatly styled was a little roughed up but still so endearing.

His hand reached out towards your cheek. His head tilted sideways and leaned in. His lips were soft and almost addictive. He tasted like mint and cherries—separately of course—and that taste alone insured he’d linger in your mind forever. No matter what, he’d linger.

He tapped your shoulder lightly and looked at you for your permission. You nodded at him, giving him your permission to take it off.

He carefully helped to raise your arms over your head and your shirt off with it.

You gasped, feeling the chill air of your apartment against your naked arms.

Ed leaned down, kissing your lips then trailing off, along your neck, your jugular, your collarbones then your shoulder. All while leaving a hickey or three.

You tapped his chest next, him peeling his sweater off and his t-shirt underneath it too. Your lips reattached once again and you ran your hands down his abdomen. He was lean and his skin was soft.

You looked at him as if he was a statue of an ancient greek god in some big fancy beautiful museum full of other big fancy beautiful things and you were just a person stopping to look at all the small details, the curve of his lower back, the mole on his shoulder, and idolize him. You couldn’t help it and he couldn’t help but attack you softly with kisses once he saw that expression on your face. The one he’d wanted from Ms Kringle. The one that showed him you adored him just as much as he did to you. Only now he had to show you. In the only way he could right at this moment, right here.

You felt a tap on your hip and soon enough your pants were shed to the floor alongside his and various other pieces of clothing.

He picked you up by the back of your thighs, kissing you fervently. You moaned softly, your legs wrapping around his hips.

“Oh,” he groaned into the crook of your neck, grinding against your crotch. Your fingers tugged at his hair and he moaned sweetly. You could get used to this sound.

He tossed you down onto your bed and crawled on top of you.

•••••

The sounds you made that night would forever be memorized in his mind. The way you fell apart at his touch brought him a certain kind of confidence with you he previously had not thought possible.

And he was right, the sound of his name spilling from your lips as you raced towards your release and his was invigorating. It drove him crazy, the way you left him feeling. And he’d revel in that feeling for as long as he could.

Your eyes blinked open, adjusting to the natural sunlight pouring in from your windows. One of the reasons you decided on this place was because of all the sunlight that came into it through the old glass planes. But right now, it was a pain.

You rolled over, expecting to find Ed, his chest falling and rising with his breathing but instead found only an empty space and warm sheets.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes, searching around your apartment for him.

“Ed?” you grumbled out. No response.

You look around, seeing if he’d left anything around. He didn’t seem like the type to just pack up and leave after a night like that. He seemed like the sweet type, of which he was never less than to you, to make you coffee and invite you out again.

You found a neon green sticky note on your fridge with his tall, scribbly but somehow also neat handwriting on it.

‘A necessity to some, a treasure to many. I’m best enjoyed among pleasant company. Some like me hot, some like me cold. Some prefer mild. Some like me bold. What am I?

I went out for coffee. I hope you still like it from that diner down the street :-))’

Leaving a riddle. He’s so nerdy. I love it.

You imagined his glasses perched upon his nose and the way he’d half-smile sometimes and how handsome he was.

You looked down, noticing Ed’s sweater around your frame. It was comfy, there was no denying it. And the colour was so nice, what a beautiful red. You could understand why it was one of his favourites. Plus you’d helped him pick it out. So many good memories in thsi sweater.

A hair again was attached to his sweater. A long hair. A red one at that. You and Eddie only knew one person with red hair. Kristen.

You’d seen it last night, why hadn’t you asked about it? Wait, why did he come over in the first place. He had a date with Kristen last night. Before he was in your apartment, in your bed, he was with Kristen.

You blamed yourself for not thinking clearly, for letting his lips and his stupidly gorgeous godlike body and face and mind fog your vision.

Was he using you as a rebound? As a side piece even? You hated to even think it, but were you second choice to run to?

You heard the door open and close. You turned your head towards Ed who had a wide smile on his face and two cups in his hands.

His hair was still messed up, making this feel more domestic. Like you two had built a life together.

Fuck.

He kissed you on the cheek as he came closer and put your cup in front of you.

“How are you feeling, Y/n?” he beamed at you, his positivity sat somewhere weird in your stomach.

“You met Kristen last night, right?” you said outright.

He was hesitant and that look of processing all of his options in this conversation formed on his face.

“Yes,” he said more quietly.

“Did you and Kristen have a date last night? Before you came over here, I mean,” you asked, slightly annoyed.

Ed was once again assessing his options. “Yes.”

“Eddie, why did you come over after being on a date with Kristen?” you said with a stomachache most likely due to anxiety.

He thought every word out carefully before letting it come out.

“Something happened between us,” he said, not looking you in the eye.

“Tell me then, Eddie. Am I just a rebound to you?” you said with a slightly accusing tone.

“Me and Ms Kringle are over. She’s no longer my girlfriend.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “Okay, so then I’m a rebound to you?”

The room was quiet, Ed trying to hold back what he was about to say, trying to say anything else.

“...Ms Kringle is no longer my girlfriend because she is dead.”

His tone was clear-cutting and focused on only one objective; getting the information across.

A hand went over your mouth in horror. You rushed to him, arms wrapping around his torso.

“I am so sorry, Ed.”

His arms wrapped around you too. “Because I killed her.”

You froze in his embrace.

“It was a mistake, Y/n. I promise. Things just...escalated.” He cleared his throat and put his head in your crook of your neck, craning his neck to do so.

You shivered in fear. “So you didn’t mean to kill her, right?”

“Oh no no, Y/n. She was important to me. She really was. I’d never do that to someone I care about.”

“And I care about you. I’m so happy to be with you. I’m so happy we are the same. You are the one for me.”

It was weird, but you didn’t see Eddie as a killer. Ot could’ve been his tall awkward constant state but he was just Eddie. The Eddie who liked riddles and peppermint tea and you.

“Ok,” you said swallowed a lump in your throat and let him hug you tightly.

For a few minutes in his embrace your mind blocked out the new confession. For a few minutes you let yourself be the same you always were, in love with him. For a few minutes, you let yourself not be in love with a murderer, but instead Eddie.

Your coffee went cold.


End file.
